In recent years, RFID has been widely spread and has become to be gradually used for product management, a ticket for transport facilities, a cash card, and the like.
In a case where RFID is used for product management, it enables to provide such high-quality service that the stock status of a product can be managed more easily, or detail information on a product can be maintained in RFID to be seen by a terminal or the like in a store. Further, RFID is used for the prevention of shoplifting.
In addition, in a case where RFID is used to function as a cash card, it enables to pay at a cashier by carrying only one card, while it is necessary for a user to carry cash and pay cash at a register, which is a conventional and complicated operation. As described above, RFID offers convenience to life; however, disadvantage due to characteristics that communication is conducted wirelessly is also conceivable.
For example, in a case where RFID is used for product management, there is a possibility that what a user purchased is read by an RFID reader/writer after the user finished shopping and left a store. Thus, one's information can be read by others without notice because communication is conducted wirelessly.
Further, in a case where RFID storing important personal information such as a credit card is lost, information stored inside the credit card can be secretly seen by others. Under such a condition, it is desirable that RFID does not conduct a requirement if a writing requirement or a reading requirement is transmitted from an RFID reader/writer.
As shown in the examples described above, the possibility that RFID is abused by a malevolent person is necessary to be avoided as an overall system of RFID.
According to such a background, it is proposed that operation of an RFID chip is stopped after a product is purchased (refer to Non-Patent Document 1: “IC tag, assignment for progress”, Nikkei Byte (published by Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.), May 2003, p. 78).